Ruffler for sewing-machines.



No. 648,862. Patented 4May |,J |9011.

' H. ELLIS, RUFELEB FDR SEWING MACHINES.l

(Application filed Aug. 3,-18994 (No Model.)

710 GMM/man D Tus-nomme um cal., wom-umn.) wAsmNuTnn, n, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT EETCE.

HENRY ELLIS, OF MONTGOB'IERY, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EPATHA R.KREUTNER, OF SAME PLACE.

RUF'FLER FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 648,862, dated May 1,1900. Appnmion ned @guar-1,1899. serai No. 726,634. un man.)

T0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY ELLIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Montgomery, in the county of Montgomery and State ofAlabama, have invented certain' new and useful Improvements in Rufflersfor Sewing-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to that class of attachments for sewing-machineswhich are designed to rutile, gather, or shirr goods simultaneously withthe sewing operation and which will enable a tape, strip, facing, or thelike to overlie the gathered or ruffled goods and be stitched thereto atone operation, said overlying piece bein g unaffected by the rui-lie,the head of the latter being stitched between the main goods and theoverlying strip.

The device is so constructed as to admit of any width of ruilie beingformed and stitched to the goods, whether bias or otherwise, and thegathering or ruftling blade and the guard or separator are located'tothe right in contradistinction to the left, as generally practiced. Thisdisposition of the parts enables a great width of ruiie being formed andstitched to the goods and results in convenience of operation and givesthe operator full control of the goods, the rutile, and the overlyingstrip.

For a full description of the invention and of the merits thereof andalso to acquire a knowledge of the construction of the means foreiecting the result, reference is to be had to the following drawingshereto attached.

While the essential and characteristic features of the invention arenecessarily susceptible of modification, still the preferred embodimentof the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure l is a perspective view of a ruftler constructed in accordancewith and embodying the essential features of the invention. Fig. 2 is aview of the ruffler inverted and as seen from the bottom side. Fig. 3 isa longitudinal section. Fig. 4 is a front view of the right-hand edgeportion of the attachment, showing the ear, the arm and lever pivotedthereto, and the base and reciprocating plates.

Fig. 5 is a side view of the foot and base, the end portion of thelatter remote from the foot being broken away. Fig. 6 is a horizontalsection of the parts shown in Fig. 4c, taken through the spaced ears ofthe short arm of the operating-lever. Fig. '7 is a detail view inelevation of the oscillating arm, the end portion of theoperating-lever, the stops coperating with the oscillating arm, and theparts from which the stops extend, showing thc relation of the elements.

Corresponding and like parts. are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The presser-foot l has a base-plate 2 located at the left-hand side andto which the operating parts are attached. This presser-foot may be ofany style, according tothe make of the machine, and is constructed forattachment to the lower end of the presser-bar in the wellknown manner.A transverse slot 3 is formed in the shoe portion of the presser-footadjacent to the toe and inclines rearwardly and downwardly and receivesthe tape, ribbon, or strip to be stitched to the'goods over the head ofthe ru ftle. This slot 3 opens through the righthand edge of the shoeand extends inward a proper distance from the edge.

The guard orseparator 4 is arranged to the right of the plate 2, and itsfront end is attached to an arm 5, projecting laterally from said plate.This guard is a spring, and its function is to hold the ruffle from themain goods during the gathering operation. The gathering or rufflingblade 6 is also arranged to the right of the plate 2 and over theseparator 4 and is attached at its front end to the arm 7, parallel withthe arm 5 and projecting from a plate 8, mounted to reciprocate upon thebase-plate. The free end of the gathering-blade is toothed to engagewith the goods and ruflie it upon the forward movement of the saidblade.

The plate 8 is mounted to reciprocate longitudinally upon the base-plateand is held thereto and guided in its movements by the usual headedfastenings applied to the baseplate 2 and-slots in the reciprocatingplate to receive the headed ends of the said fastenings. An ear 9 isformed at the inner edge of the plate 2 near its front end by bending aportion of said plate vertically or at a right angle. A fulcrum-pin 10is appliedv to the ear 9, and an arm 11 is mounted to oscillate thereon.The operating-lever 12 is likewise mounted upon the fulcrum-pin 10 andis of ogee form in plan view, the free end of the long arm beingbifurcated to receive the projecting end of the screw of the needle-barin the usual manner. The short arm of the operating-lever has spacedears 13, between which the oscillating arm 11 is received, the earsbeing spaced a sufficient distance to admit of the lever 12 moving ashort distance at the end of each stroke before imparting movement tothe arm 11. This arrangement enables the needle-bar to acquire aninitial impetus at the beginning of each stroke before actuating 4the ruflier.

' Stops 14 and 15 project upward from the plate 8, the stop 14c beingfixed and the stop 15 adjustable. The lower end of the oscillating arm11 enters'tlie space formed between the stops 14 and 15 and imparts areciprocating movement to the plate 8 from the lever 12.

A spring-arm 16 carries the stop 15 and is piv-A separator, and thestrip to be ruffled passes between the separator and the gatheringblade,and in the event of a second strip being appliedlthesaine passes throughthe slot 3 of the presser-foot. The three pieces are vstitched togetherat one and the same oper- Y. ation, the rufder being secured between themain body of the goods and the overlying strip, as will be readilycomprehended. The fullness of the ruffle can be varied by adjusting thearm 1 6 in the manner set forth, whereby the distance between the fixedstop 14 and the movable stop 15 is regulated. The operating parts arelocated to the right of the base-plate 2, as set forth, in order tosecure the most advantageous results, and which in practice has beenfound beneficial by reason of greater convenience in handling the goodsor as required. This will be clear when it is remembered that a greaternumber of ruflies are applied to the lower portion of garments and thatit is more convenient to have the upper portion of the garment away fromthe sewing-machine head, so as to hang over the sewing-machine table orencircle the same, which'is most generally the case with skirts of owingcharacter. By having the rufling mechanism located to the right, asstated, an unobstructed space is provided between the sewing-machine armand the inner edge of the attachment. Hence a ruffle of any width can beformed with ease and despatch. The bulk of the goods of iowing robes,skirts, and analogous garments can rest upon the outer end of the tableand drop over the same and can be more conveniently and advantageouslyhandled than if crowded under the arm of the sewing-machine, as isrequired with attachments having the rufiling mechanism at the left-handedge of the base-plate.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In arufliing attachment for sewing-machines, the combination with thebase-plate having an upright and a reciprocating plate bearing thegathering-blade, of an oscillating arm applied to the said upright,stops projecting from the reciprocating plate for cooperation with theoscillating arm, and an operating-lever fulcrumed to the said nprightsand having spaced ears to alternately engage with opposite portions ofthe oscillating arm, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A rufiler for sewing-machines, comprising a base-plate having anupright, a reciprocating plate applied to the base-plate and havingfixed and adjustable stops, a fulcrumpin applied to said upright, anoscillating arm mounted upon the fulcrum-pin and operating between thesaid stops, and an operating-lever mounted upon the said fulcrumpinhaving spaced ears disposed to alternately engage with opposite portionswith the oscillating arm, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY ELLIS. [L. s]

Witnesses:

WALTER DAVIS, WILLIFOR DUsKIN.

IOO

